It’s half term
And the little girl in the charity shop
Says we have the best toys.
Reassuring rheumatologist
And snowdrops at Calke.
Sum up Sunday
words
Wordy Wednesday
On a Tuesday morning, my partner volunteers in one of our local charity shops and often messages me to come and buy a few things. I never know what they might be but tea towels are a regular favourite – she’s a collector extraordinaire. This time, there were three items; a tea towel in a tin, a tin with teapots on it and a jigsaw.
When I got home, I studied the jigsaw and became fascinated by the word ‘Hygge’ on the front. As well as some information on the box, I headed to the visit Denmark website. Here it describes the fullness of its meaning. Hygge – pronounced hoo-gah – is about creating a warm atmosphere, enjoying the best of life with other people. They give some examples, such as the cosy glow of candlelight.
If you enjoy doing jigsaws, you probably get a sense of Hygge and the design on this one demonstrates that sense perfectly too. I think we all need more Hygge in our lives. Thank you Denmark.
Sum up Sunday
Here’s my week summed up. I’d love to hear your ‘sum ups’ – in 25 words or less.
Volunteer, go to physio,
Cat to the vet.
Results of biopsy
(Must it always rain
When I go to the hospital?)
Time to write.
Wordy Wednesday
It’s Wordy Wednesday again and, today, I bring you a word whose origin lies in Scotland. It’s been used in proverbs and poems, including by the famous Scottish bard, Robert Burns. It’s also, I believe, one of those words that sounds like its meaning somehow.
Crabbit – out of humour or in a bad temper. It’s a word, given my Scottish heritage, that I often heard during our many visits to Scotland when I was a child.
She’s awfy crabbit the day!
Sum up Sunday
Exhausted from physio
Snip, snip salon
Lunch with friends
Let’s write, write and write.
Vet with our little wanderer
And so the week ends.
Wordy Wednesday
Having previously shared some words from the 16th and 18th century, today I bring a much more modern word. It is a blend of two words and became popular from around 2019.
Have you ever found yourself accidentally eating more snacks than you intended? Maybe you were anxious or simply distracted, only to find you’d eaten a large bag of crisps, or rather more biscuits than you meant to. If you have, then you’ve had a snaccident. What a brilliant word.
Look out for my next word on Wordy Wednesday and please do send me any of your favourite or discovered words.
Sum up Sunday
I’ve set myself the challenge of summing up my week in 25 words or less. If you’d like to have a go too, I’d be pleased to see your ‘sum ups’.
Here goes:
I volunteer
And I write
Rain, rain, more rain
And more
Hospital appointments x 2
See family
And relax –
With the cats.
Mubble-fubbles
I credit Susie Dent, lexicographer extraordinaire, for introducing me to this word via instagram. I’d been searching for something that would describe my current state of ennui, a sense of not being able to get on with anything or satisfactorily complete a task.
Mubble-fubbles perfectly sums up this feeling and is a 16th century expression for a fit of low spirits. I also read yesterday that January is the month for hibernation and rest. Perhaps, if I do just that, the mubble-fubbles will have passed by February.
In the still quiet of winter, rest and hibernate mind and body.
Weather Words
We’re known, in the UK, for our fondness for talking about the weather. This week has certainly given us cause to turn to our favourite subject time and again. We’ve had storms, rain, snow, ice and, occasionally, the sun has made an appearance.
My favourite weather word is dreich and one I frequently heard as a child from my Scottish aunts. I think it perfectly describes a miserable, grey and wet day. It’s most effective when said with a broad Scottish accent, the ‘ch’ sound similar to that used in ‘loch’.
Another very descriptive Scottish weather phrase is ‘blowing a hoolie’. It is thought that the hoolie comes from the Orkney word, hoolan, meaning a strong gale.
If it’s dreich or blowing a hoolie where you are today, why not hunker down with a good book – Dreich House maybe?
And Another Quirky Word
Have you ever shown off, strutted about vainly like a peacock? There’s a word to describe that and it’s derived from the Latin, pavo, meaning peacock.
Verb – pavonise or pavonize.
It’s not a word in common usage today though has been highlighted by Susie Dent, lexicographer, on social media.
Can you find a way to sneak it into conversation?
mywordshare 